Shotgun muzzle construction



1966 R. G. SARGEANT ETAL 3,

SHOTGUN MUZZLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS Ralph G.Sorgeont& Roy F. Albriflon BY -M M 36-7 /M/f ATTORNEYJan. 4, 1966 G. SARGEANT ETAL 3,

SHOTGUN MUZZLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS Ralph G. Sorgecmtfl Roy E Albriflon FIG-'5. BY

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,226,871 SHOTGUN- MUZZLE CONSTRUCTIONRalph G. Sargeant, 408 W. Windsor St., Lakeland, Fla., and Roy F.Albritton, 1130 Garden St., Bar-tow, Fla. Filed Oct. 8, 1964, Ser. No.402,546 4 Claims. (Cl. 42-79) This invention relates to firearms andmore particularly to shotguns.

Whether choke bore or of other types, conventional shotguns give a shotpattern which is substantially circular.

It is desirable in many kinds of game hunting to provide a shotgun thatwill produce a shot pattern of oval or elliptical form, with its majoraxis horizontal, or in other words, a pattern in which the shot spreadmore widely in a horizontal direction than in a vertical direction.

Attachments to be applied to the muzzle of a gun to produce this resulthave heretofore been proposed, but these attachments have been bulky anddifficult to handle, and hence unsatisfactory inuse.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effectivemeans for producing the desired horizontal spreading of the shotpattern, which means can either be embodied in a special construction ofthe muzzle of the gun barrel itself or in an attachment readily appliedto the muzzle.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification andillustrating various forms of the invention, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a conventional shotgun to which ourinvention may be applied;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the muzzle ofsuch a gun, and showing one form of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the gun muzzle illustrated in FIG. 2; 1

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the shot pattern produced by a gun having amuzzle constructed as shown in FIGS. 2 and '3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the muzzle of a single barrel gun havinga somewhat modified construction;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the shot pattern produced by a gun having amuzzle constructed as shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the muzzle of a double barrel gunembodying a construction similar to that shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing how a muzzle construction similar to thatillustrated in FIG. 2 may be embodied in an attachment applied to theend of the barrel;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the attachment illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a transverse section on the line 1t)10 of FIG. 8, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is a view partially in plan and partially in longitudinal,horizontal section on the line 1111 of FIG. 12, showing an attachmentembodying a different form of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a front end view of this attachment;

FIG. 13 is a vertical, longitudinal section substantially on the line1313 of FIG. 12; and

FIGS. 14 and 15 are respectively a plan view and side elevation of a gunmuzzle, similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, we produce the horizontal spreadingof the shot, as above mentioned, by forming a longitudinal passageway inthe muzzle portion'of the gun on at least one side.

In FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14 and 15, this passageway 3,226,871 PatentedJarn, 1966 is in the form of an open slot, while in FIGS. ll, 12 and 13,the passageway takes the form of a groove.

Also, in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 15, the passageway is formed in thegun barrel itself, while in FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, thepassageway is formed in an attachmentwhich is fitted on to the end ofthe barrel.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional shotgun having a barrel 1, muzzle 2and sight 3.

One form of our improved construction of muzzle for a single barrel gunis shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In these figures, the sides of the muzzle arebeveled oif or machined at an acute angle as indicated at 4 to providelongitudinally extending laterally open slots 5, the muzzle having upperand lower tapering portions 6 and 7 above and below such slots. It willbe noted that the slots 5 increase in Width progressively from the rearend, where the width is a minimum, to the forward end, where the widthis a maximum, such forward end opening out through the end of themuzzle.

As a result of such a construction, the shot pattern will be ellipticalor oval, as shown in FIG. 4, the major axis being horizontal, asindicated at a, while the minor axis is vertical, as indicated at b. Theslots 5 permit the shot to scatter laterally or horizontally, while theshot are more or less confined vertically by the horizontal portions 6and 7. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the relative width of the shot patternhorizontally and vertically is illustrated at a and b, respectively.

In some cases, it may be desirable to form a slot such as 5 in one sideonly of the barrel. This will yield some such pattern as shown in FIG.6.

While in FIGS. 1 to 5 we have illustrated a single barrel gun, it willbe understood that we also contemplate forming a slot 5 in each side ofthe muzzle of a double barrel gun 1', as shown in FIG. 7. In this case,each barrel will produce a shot pattern of the type shown in FIG. 6, butwith the pattern reversed as between the rightand left-hand barrels.

In FIGS. 14 and 1-5, we have illustrated the muzzle of a single barrelgun in which a somewhat different shape of slots has been formed.Instead of increasing in width progressively from rear to front as inFIGS. 2 and 3, the slots 14 in FIGS. 14 and 15 are shown as ofsubstantially the same width throughout their length, and with paralleledges. The upper and lower portions 16 and 17, instead of being taperingas in FIGS. 2 and 3, are also of substantially the same widththroughout. These slots 14 will permit the shot to escape laterally andform a pattern having a greater width horizontally than vertically, thesame as described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, only the pattern mayhave a slightly different shape. While the rear end of the slots isshown at 15 as being arcuate, it may obviously be straight, ifpreferred.

As above mentioned, the passageways or slots, instead of being formed inthe gun barrel itself, may be formed in an attachment adapted to befitted over the muzzle. This isshown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

In these figures, an attachment 8, which may be made by casting, isformed at its rear end with a socket having an internal diameter of suchsize as to slip over and snugly fit the end of the barrel. It isprovided with a slot 9 to accommodate the sight 3, and may be clamped tothe barrel by means of three or more set screws 10. It also preferablycarries its own sight 3'. The forward end is shaped as in FIGS. 2 and 3,namely, it is made with beveled sides 4', forming slots 5, between upperand lower tapering portions 6' and 7. The interior of the forwardportion is provided with an annular shoulder 8' of a depth substantiallyequal to the thickness of the end of the gun barrel, so that whenassembled, with this shoul-der abutting the end of the barrel, theinside diameter of this portion is the same as the bore of the gun, sothat there is provided a passage of uniform size through which the shotcan travel. Therefore, the effect on the shot pattern is substantiallythe same as in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, we have shown a modified construction ofattachment in which the passageway takes the form of a groove instead ofa slot. This attachment, designated 11, has a slot to accommodate thesight 3, and is preferably provided with a sight 3 of its own. As inFIGS. 8 and 9, the attachment may be secured to the gun barrel by meansof set screws 12, and is provided with an internal annular shoulder 11to abut the end of the gun barrel, and of a depth approximately equal tothe thickness of the end of the barrel, as described in connection withFIGS. 8 and 9. However, in place of the slots 5, the attachment 11 isformed with an internal, longitudinally extending flaring groove 13.This groove is of progressively increasing depth and width, from itsrear to its forward end, and constitutes a passageway which will permitthe shot to scatter more widely horizontally, in much the same manner asthe slots of FIGS. 8 and 9. By reference to FIG. 12, it will be seenthat the open forward end of the groove is approximately of ellipticalshape, with its major axis horizontal.

It will be noted that the attachments of both FIGS. 8 and 9, and FIGS.11, 12 and 13, have an outer surface of circular outline in crosssection, and that the above described passageways lie wholly within theconfines of this circular outline.

It will be seen that the open forward end of the groove 13, and the openforward ends of the slots 5 in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9 lie in a planeat right angles to the barrel.

Where, in the claims, we describe the passageways (that is, the slotsand grooves) as positioned symmetrically with respect to a horizontalplane passing through the center of the muzzle, We mean that the shapeof the passageway is the same, and extends longitudinally in the samedirection, both above and below such plane.

Where, in the appended claims, we use the expression muzzle portion, orbarrel we mean it to include either the barrel itself or the attachment.

What we claim is:

1-. A shotgun barrel having a muzzle portion of the conventionalcircular cross section, said portion being formed within the confines ofsuch circular cross section, on at least one side with a longitudinallyextending passageway, the forward end of said passageway terminating atthe end of the muzzle, and lying in a plane at right angles to saidbarrel said passageway having the same shape and the walls thereofextending longitudinally in the same direction both above and below ahorizontal plane passing through the center of the muzzle, the interiorof said muzzle portion being completely clear and unobstructed, and saidmuzzle portion thus formed, permitting the shot to scatter over a widerarea laterally than vetrically.

2. A shotgun barrel having a muzzle portion of the conventional circularcross section, said portion being formed within the confines of suchcircular cross section on at least one side with a longitudinallyextending passageway increasing progressively in width from the rearend, where it is of minimum width, to the forward end where it is ofmaximum width, said forward end terminating at the end of the muzzle,said passageway being positioned symmetrically with respect to ahorizontal plane passing through the center of the muzzle, said muzzleportion thus formed permitting the shot to scatter over a wide arealaterally than vertically, and the interior of said muzzle portion beingcompletely clear and unobstructed.

3. A single barrel shotgun barrel beveled off on each side on verticalplanes at an angle to each other to produce tapering top and bottomportions with longitudinally extending laterally open slots betweenthem, said slots increasing progressively in width from the rear endforward.

4. A single barrel shot gun having a muzzle cut away at each side onvertical planes to produce spaced top and bottom portions withlongitudinally extending, laterally open slots between them.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATLS PATENTS 1,227,987 5/1917Wright 42-79 1,352,938 9/1920 Blair 4279 X 1,369,085 2/1921 Craig 89141,415,919 5/1922 Butler et a1 8914 2,167,173 7/1939 Fleming 4279BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

4. A SINGLE BARREL SLOT GUN HAVING A MUZZLE CUT AWAY AT EACH SIDE ON VERTICAL PLANES TO PRODUCE SPACED TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS WITH LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, LATERALLY OPEN SLOTS BETWEEN THEM. 